The upcoming NFL season will feature no shortage of intriguing storylines. Perhaps none more fascinating than Tom Brady’s first year away from the New England Patriots as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
When Brady is in the mix, the expectations will naturally be high for any team. The Buccaneers will be no exception. They do have an elite wide receiver duo in Chris Godwin and Mike Evans along with new tight end Rob Gronkoswki, but there are some areas to watch as potential weaknesses.
During a recent interview with ESPN’s Get Up, Randy Moss expressed that his ‘biggest concern’ when it comes to Brady’s supporting cast in Tampa Bay is the Buccaneers’ offensive line.
“I think my biggest concern for Tom, you know you see what he has as far as his weapons,” Moss said. “I’m not concerned about the running game, I’m concerned about Tom’s protection. They were unable to protect Jameis Winston for so long and if you compare quarterbacks, Jameis and Tom are not mobile quarterbacks.
“So if they couldn’t protect Jameis how are they gonna protect Tom Brady? I think that’s my biggest concern for me going into the season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.”
The Buccaneers struggled to protect Jameis Winston and rarely had a reliable running game during his time in Tampa Bay. The current supporting cast around Brady projects as being substantially better, but still has some potential concerns on the offensive line.
It’s important to dig a bit beyond the surface when discussing the Buccaneers’ offensive line. The interior offensive line was great last season with Ali Marpet and Ryan Jenson with the tackles being weak, as Randy Moss suggested. Tampa Bay added Tristan Wirfs in the NFL Draft and that should help.
In a loaded NFC South that features a New Orleans Saints team coming off a 13-3 record in 2019, the Buccaneers will need to take a few steps forward to compete for the division crown. Let’s not forget, the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers could show real progression this season, too.
The level of effectiveness Tom Brady will have during the upcoming season will be intriguing to see. He will be 43-years-old at the start of the 2020 season and is coming off a disappointing playoff loss against the Tennessee Titans where his last pass was a pick-six.
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